Choices
by mfg1994
Summary: Chrissy has to make some huge decisions about her newly stable relationship with Steve. Third in the Steve/Chrissy series.
1. Chapter 1

1

_Urgent! Open Immediately!_

Chrissy Raines was instantly puzzled when she saw the plain white envelope with that message stamped in red on the outside. Usually, those types of instructions were printed on junk mail, but Chrissy wasn't sure about that this time. The return address was a law firm in L.A. The firm name was familiar, Jones and Jones, because that was the law firm that had handled all of her father's business when he passed away. She had absolutely no idea what they would want with her now, especially since her father would be gone a year in less than two months.

When she opened the letter, she was surprised to see that the subject was her deceased half-brother, Michael Raines's, last will and testament. This confused her, primarily because her brother had been dead for over six weeks. She would have figured that all of this would have been taken care of by now. However, because her brother's death had been so sudden, everything was disorganized and it had taken a while to get everything figured out.

The letter read:

_Ms. Raines,_

_ We wish you our deepest sympathies at the passing of your brother. He was a highly-respected client here at Jones and Jones and did much of his business here. Despite the fact that Michael passed with many crimes hanging over his head, he will be missed here. Our thoughts go out to you and your brother at this time._

_ In regards to Michael's last will and testament, a current copy of it is not in existence. Therefore, because it is not specified in either your father's or Michael's wills, Skyline Publishing will automatically go to your mother, Mrs. Ann Raines. However, you and your brother, Adam, will also be taking on new roles in the company and serving on its board._

_ Whenever possible, please call me at the number indicated on my business card so we might set up a meeting to discuss you and your brother's respective duties in the company as were specified to Michael in your father's will. Again, I am very sorry for your loss and I am looking forward to hearing from you._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Walter Jones_

_ Attorney at Law_

_ Jones and Jones, Attorneys at Law_

Chrissy had nearly thrown up while reading the first paragraph of the letter. She wondered who exactly was going to miss Michael. She certainly wasn't. If they'd known exactly what kind of monster he'd been, maybe they would understand her logic. She'd noticed they hadn't mentioned that he'd been a nice person or anything like that. Mr. Jones had simply referred to him as "a well-respected client." Yeah, that proved her point.

Chrissy was definitely a little surprised by the revelation that Michael did not have a standing will and testament. Therefore, everything went directly back to her mother. She hadn't spoken to her since she'd left L.A. over eight months ago. Truthfully, she'd never had a great relationship with her mother, as Ann Raines had always favored her step-son and never believed much of what Chrissy or Adam said. That's probably why Chrissy had never told her mother about Michael raping her. Ann would never believe that her baby Mikey could be capable of something like that, and say that Chrissy had made the story up for attention. It was no use.

Now, however, Chrissy's mind was running in a thousand directions. She now had a job in one of the top publishing houses in the world, her father's, no less. She'd be working for her mother, who knew absolutely nothing about publishing, but would act like she did. Not only that, but it was expected that Chrissy would drop her entire life for this job. Chrissy's life was now entirely in Hawaii. Her job was there, her friends were there, and, most importantly, the man she loved was there. Sarah loved it in Hawaii. She couldn't walk away from all of this. It just wasn't possible.

Of course, Chrissy knew she had to call Walter Jones and probably at least schedule a meeting with him. She'd probably have to fly to L.A. for a couple of days and straighten all of this out, then she could come home. As much as she loved Skyline Publishing, she just couldn't move back to L.A. anymore. It was no longer her home, and she was sure she'd feel like a complete outsider there. The city was too fast paced for her. She loved the tropical, relaxing atmosphere of Honolulu. It was the ideal place to live after L.A. She was not giving up her life for a job, especially when it meant that her mother was going to be her boss for the rest of her life.

Chrissy decided she'd tell Steve about this when they had dinner that night. They had no secrets from each other, especially about important stuff like this. Steve definitely needed to know about this because this revelation could change the course of the rest of their lives, and not for the better.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Around quarter to six that afternoon, Steve backed out of the Five-0 parking lot and began heading to Chrissy's house. He couldn't believe the progress their relationship had made. They'd known each other over two months now, and been a couple for more than a month and a half. He'd finally owned up to that a week and a half ago, and because of it, they really were getting to know each other better. They'd spent hours talking about their childhoods and pasts, clarifying most of that for each other. The physical part of their relationship was at a kind of standstill. They couldn't do much because Sarah was in the house most of the time, and even when she wasn't, Steve was reluctant to make a move because he feared spooking Chrissy. Despite the fact that she trusted him, he knew that rape victims could still freeze up even when they were with guys they completely trusted. He hated the thought of scaring her more, and stuck to kissing because of that. Despite the fact that his hands itched to caress her bare skin, he ignored the urge and concentrated on her. She'd grown much more comfortable with kissing him lately, but he knew she wasn't sure of what to do next. Her hands just rested at her sides usually, probably because she was nervous that she might do something wrong. It made Steve chuckle a little. In his opinion, wherever Chrissy put her hands would be fine by him. However, he knew she was just nervous, and that she would overcome it in time.

As Steve pulled into Chrissy's driveway, he noticed her brother, Adam's, rental car in the driveway as well. It puzzled him a little, as Adam only joined them for meals occasionally. Usually, there was something to discuss at those meals, like wrapping up the Wo Fat case and things like that. Steve wondered if there were still some loose ends with that and hoped that if there was, they could be resolved tonight. For the first time in twenty years, his life would no longer be centered on trying to find the people responsible for his mother's and later his father's murder and trying to make them pay. He could move on. Steve McGarrett wanted that like nothing else in the world.

Steve had barely opened the driver's side door of his Chevy Silverado before Sarah came running to him, her hands desperately tugging on whatever bit of his clothing she could find to get his attention. After he hopped out of the truck, Steve lifted Sarah off the ground and took her in his arms. He couldn't believe how paternal his feelings for her were growing. Steve tried to protect her at every stop, and Chrissy now talked to him about almost every aspect of her parenting. They were a family in every sense of the word. That is, except for the legal one.

Stepping inside, Steve peeked into the kitchen. Chrissy stood in front of the stove, stirring something in a pot. Setting Sarah down, he told her to go get Uncle Adam. Quietly, Steve slipped into the kitchen. Tiptoeing up behind Chrissy, he slowly slipped his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. She smiled and leaned back against him slightly. Chrissy whispered, "You know my daughter and brother are in this house, right?"

Steve continued kissing her neck, "Yeah, I know."

Chrissy laughed, "It obviously doesn't bother you too much."

Steve shook his head, "No, not really."

Footsteps began approaching the kitchen, so Steve kissed Chrissy on the cheek and explained, "I guess I'll stop so I don't embarrass you."

Chrissy bit her lip, "Oh, it's not embarrassment I'm worried about. It's the fact that my brother might kick your butt."

Steve replied, "Adam wouldn't do _that_. He likes me."

Chrissy shot him a look, "He won't like you so much if he sees you feeling me up in the kitchen with his niece in the next room."

"I was _not _feeling you up."

"Then what was that little rubbing thing you were doing with your hands?"

Chrissy halted when Adam and Sarah walked into the kitchen. Steve and Chrissy tried to look as though the conversation they'd just had hadn't happened, although it wasn't very successful. Adam looked at both of them and asked, "Did I miss something?'

Steve shook his head, "No. Why?"

Adam replied, "I don't know. It just feels like I missed something here."

Chrissy drained the excess water from the pasta into the sink and shook her head, "Your detective sense is working too hard again, Adam. You didn't miss a thing."

Adam shrugged, "Okay, if you say so, sis."

Chrissy lifted the large bowl of noodles onto the counter and added the meat sauce quickly. She carried it into the dining room, announcing, "Dinner is served."

Chrissy and Steve sat across from one another, while Adam and Sarah did as well. Just as all of them were digging into their meals, Chrissy mentioned, "Steve, there's something I want to talk to you about."

Steve leaned back in his chair and sipped on a glass of water, "Okay. Shoot."

Chrissy informed, "Today, I got a letter in the mail from Jones and Jones law firm in L.A. They handle all of the business at Skyline Publishing as well as my family's personal matters. Anyway, the letter basically said that Michael did not have a valid will and testament at the time of his death, so Skyline Publishing goes to my mother, Ann Raines. It also said that Adam and I will be serving on the board at Skyline Publishing and that we need to set up a meeting to discuss our other duties to the company."

Steve's eyes widened, "Wow. That's a pretty big change."

Chrissy nodded, "I know, and my mother will expect me to drop the entire life I've built here and move back to L.A. I don't want to, though. I hate it there. Not only that, but I don't want to be under my mother's control for the rest of my life, either. She doesn't really like me, and she's been trying to change me practically since the day I was born. She did the same thing to Adam."

Steve replied, "She sounds like a gem."

Adam jumped in, "Yeah. No offense, Steve, but she's going to hate you when she meets you because she can't control you. You're too much of a hard ass for her."

Steve laughed, "I take that as a compliment, actually."

Chrissy lamented, "I haven't spoken to Mom since I left L.A. over eight months ago. She's probably going to be in a real charming mood when she sees me."

Adam shrugged, "Let her, Chrissy. You know how she is. There was only one person in the world who was perfect to her, and that was her baby Mikey."

Steve furrowed his brows, "Wait a second. I thought Michael had a different mother than the two of you do."

Chrissy nodded, "He does, but for some reason, our mother adored him since she met him."

Steve made a disgusted face, "Obviously, she's got great taste."

Chrissy continued, "So, anyway, I'm probably going to have to go with to L.A. with Adam for a couple of days. Is that okay with you?"

Steve smiled, "Of course it is, Chrissy. You know you can always count on me. Would you like me to keep Sarah for you?"

Chrissy nodded, "If she isn't too much trouble, that is."

Steve shook his head, "She won't be. Right, Shorty?'

Sarah laughed, "Right, Steve."

Chrissy glanced at Adam, "You see? _That's _why I love him."


	3. Chapter 3

3

An hour later, after dinner had finished and been cleaned up, Adam said his good-byes and bowed out, leaving Steve, Chrissy, and Sarah alone in the house. Sarah was already beginning to yawn, so Chrissy decided it was time to start getting her ready for bed. With Steve's help, Chrissy got Sarah undressed and in the shower. As they did this together, Chrissy's emotions began to run wild. The relationship between her and Steve was becoming extremely comfortable. It was finally beginning to follow the normal patterns of dating. They had been on three dates now, the first being the Navy SEAL Gala, the second being a romantic dinner on the beach near Steve's place, and the final(and most interesting) consisted of going to see an animated film because Sarah wanted to tag along on their movie date. However, just because they had been forced into seeing a cartoon didn't mean Steve didn't use the dark movie theater to his best advantage. They'd gotten away with a little bit of making out for a while, until Steve's phone began vibrating in his pocket and Sarah told them their kissing was too loud. Although it had been mortifying at first, the thought made her laugh now. Chrissy's life was finally falling into place, and she didn't want to lose all that she now had because of a stupid job.

As Steve followed Chrissy down the stairs, he put his hand on his shoulder and asked, "Chrissy, what's wrong? You've been really quiet since dinner."

Chrissy glanced up at him and shook her head, "It's nothing. I'm just thinking."

Steve sighed, "Let me take a wild guess: you're thinking about that letter you got."

Chrissy plopped down on the couch in her living room. She smirked at him, "Reading my mind again, Commander?"

"I'm getting pretty good at it now."

As Steve sat down next to her, Chrissy moved closer to him, laying her legs across his lap. Chrissy responded, "Well, you're right. I am thinking about that letter, but I'm not thinking about what it said as much as how it's going to affect our relationship. I mean, you and I are just getting settled in our relationship and everything is smooth sailing. Now, this letter has just thrown everything completely off balance."

Steve moved his hand to rest it on her knee, rubbing it back and forth. He reassured, "Look, I know this letter changes everything, but why don't you just set up a meeting with this lawyer and see what he has to say? Maybe our lives won't have to change as much as you suspect it will."

Chrissy chuckled, laying her head on his shoulder, "When did you become Mr. Optimistic?"

Steve laughed, "Very funny. I just don't like seeing you worried like this, Chrissy. I know you always like to be in control of what happens, and you haven't had a lot of control of events since you met me, but it won't be like this forever. We'll just have to ride this one out and see what happens. It will work out. It always does."

Chrissy moved up and pressed a kiss to Steve's cheek. She whispered, "I think I'm softening you."

Steve pulled his head up to look in Chrissy's eyes, "Not hardly, but that's a nice fantasy world you're living in."

Chrissy shook her head, "Go ahead and deny it, but you're actually beginning to show emotions, Steve. It makes me feel more at ease with you."

Steve's expression remained hard, but after a few seconds he managed a smile, "You promise you won't tell Danny?"

Chrissy brought his face down to hers and kissed him, murmuring against his lips, "My lips are sealed."


	4. Chapter 4

4

The following morning, Steve was the last person to arrive at Five-0 headquarters. After he and Chrissy had discussed the future of their relationship and that letter, they had ended up falling asleep on the couch in each other's arms. By the time he'd woken up, it had been past eight o'clock, which was like sleeping until noon for Steve. Despite the fact that he hated waking up late, he'd been careful not to wake Chrissy up when he eased himself out of her embrace, wrote her a quick note, and left. Now, even though he knew he had several cases pressing hard on Five-0, his mind was focused on Chrissy.

Danny noticed Steve's distracted demeanor almost instantly. He laughed, "Hey, what's up? You seem a little off."

Steve glanced at him and replied, "It's just a little shake-up with Chrissy."

Danny's eyes widened. "What happened? Did the two of you have a fight?"

Steve shook his head. "No, we didn't have a fight. Chrissy got a letter from a lawyer yesterday that basically said that Michael didn't have a valid will and that her father's publishing company is going to her mother. Because of that, Chrissy and Adam have been appointed to what I'm assuming is Skyline Publishing's board of directors, which worries Chrissy because she's afraid that her mother is going to want her to drop everything and move back to L.A."

"In other words, Chrissy is worried that your relationship is going to get screwed up again by this."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"What would you do if she was forced to move back to L.A.? Would you move with her?"

"I don't know. I'm hoping that doesn't happen."

"Either way, it looks like both of you will be sacrificing for the sake of the relationship. Welcome to the joys of romance, Steve."

"I hate this part. Seeing Chrissy unhappy like this is so unsettling. I mean, we're just starting to get comfortable with our new routine. We've established trust and commitment in our relationship and everything is just beginning to feel right. Now, this letter has just thrown a wrench in everything. I mean, it seems like no one else has gone through this much in the first month and a half of their relationship. Think about it. We met at a crime scene, lived in a safe house together for two weeks, killed the man who raped her as well as the man who murdered my parents and her father, went to the Navy SEAL Gala, broke up, killed an ex-co-worker/stalker, got back together, became an official 'couple,' and now we're facing the possibility that Chrissy might have to move back to L.A. What normal couple goes through all that in six weeks?"

"No normal couple that I know of, but then again, _you _are involved in the relationship, which means that absolutely nothing will be normal."

"That's not true. Everything else about our relationship is normal."

"Really? Have you and Chrissy moved past making out yet?"

"That is none of your business, Danny."

"I take that as a no. Let's face it, Steve. Your relationship with Chrissy is anything but typical, and there's nothing wrong with that. If a relationship is too typical, it can get boring really fast. Somehow, I don't see you and Chrissy getting bored with each other for a very long time. In fact, I see Chrissy getting frustrated with you before I see her getting bored with you, and I would understand that. You and Chrissy are compatible, and that's what really matters."

"Yeah. I mean, I know most guys wouldn't understand Chrissy's reluctance to have sex because it's been so long ago and the guy who did it is dead, but it doesn't bother me. It's not easy for her to get over the fact that her half-brother raped her and got her pregnant. Not only that, but she had the baby and has raised it. That's not an easy thing to wrap your head around."

"I agree, but the fact that the two of you haven't had sex yet proves that your relationship isn't based on something superficial like great sex."

"You're right. Not only that, but I think that if we wait until Chrissy is completely ready, it will be more enjoyable for both of us. I would never feel right if she wasn't comfortable and was doing it just to satisfy me."

"Yeah, I get what you mean. However, I don't think some guys would care as much as you do. They would just get what they want and they wouldn't care how Chrissy felt."

"I know. It just isn't my style."

"Me, either. I can't lie; when I was younger, I used to be very focused on my own wants and needs in a relationship. However, as I got older, I began to realize that, especially when it came to sex, the woman's wants and needs are equally important if you want to be satisfied."

"Very true. It doesn't matter how long I have to wait for Chrissy. I'll do it. Hell, if it comes to the point where we want to get married and she wants to wait until after we do that, I will. Sure, I'd love to be with her that way, but waiting doesn't bother me. I was a Navy SEAL. I've waited for life's essentials like food and water. I can live without sex."

"But, would you be able to live without Chrissy?"

Steve stared at the floor for a second, biting his lip. Slowly, he glanced up at the guy he loved like a brother and who had been by his side nearly every waking moment of the past three years, and responded quietly, "To be honest, I don't know.


	5. Chapter 5

5

That afternoon, Chrissy called Walter Jones and made a joint appointment with Adam to see him that Friday, which was only two days away. She really hated to leave Sarah with Steve on such short notice, but he was more than happy to do it. She'd never met a man like him, and she supposed that was why she'd fallen head over heels in love with him. Despite what her mother thought, she was not going to drop her new life in Hawaii and Steve for a position on the board of directors of Skyline Publishing. As much as she loved to read, Chrissy had to admit that she knew very little about the board of directors' part of publishing. She might have worked at Skyline for nearly a decade and a half, but she didn't feel that being a secretary exactly qualified her to be on the board of directors. Nothing was going to change the fact that she would remain in Hawaii with Steve and seriously consider his offer to be a part of Five-0. Her life was on the path she wanted it to be on, regardless of what anyone else thought.

Two days later, as Chrissy said good-bye to Steve and Sarah, she started to grow nervous about leaving. Leaving Steve was one thing; leaving her daughter was entirely another. She'd never let Sarah out of her sight aside from school and when she'd been kidnapped by Michael and Wo Fat. Other than that, she'd always been the one to take care of her daughter. However, Steve had cared for her quite well when Chrissy was missing, so she knew she could trust him with Sarah for a couple of days.

Chrissy sighed, "I hate leaving the two of you like this. I really don't want to go."

Steve answered, "I know you don't, but you have to if you want this to end. It will all be over in a few days. Besides, Shorty and I will be just fine until you get back."

Chrissy glanced down at the white tile floor of the airport. "I know. I'm not worried. I'm just not looking forward to dealing with my mother."

Adam, who was going on the same flight as Chrissy, jumped it, "Chrissy, I don't really want to deal with her, either, but we have to eventually. It's better to get it over with."

Steve nodded. "Just don't let her walk all over you, Chrissy. Stand up for yourself and put your foot down. You're always good at that."

"I'm going to miss you."

Steve weakened and pulled her into his embrace. He kissed her hair and whispered, "I'll miss you, too. No, I agree, this is not an ideal situation, but this has to be taken care of. Besides, you know I'll be calling to check on you."

Chrissy laughed against his shoulder. "Yeah. Obsessively, I'm sure."

Steve smiled. "Not obsessively. Just enough to make sure you're alright."

"Aw. I kind of like overbearing, protective Steve."

Steve pulled away slightly so he could see her face. "I thought you hated that I was overprotective and told me it was stalker-like behavior."

Chrissy laughed, "I lied. I actually think it's kind of sexy that you're so protective and overbearing."

Steve rolled his eyes. "My being protective is meant to keep you safe, not turn you on."

Chrissy raised her eyebrows. "Can't it do both?"

Steve retorted, "For you, apparently it can."

"You can't tell me there's never been a girl who thinks it's totally hot that you're like the original alpha male."

Adam interrupted, "Did you two fail to realize that we have a child in our presence? The stuff you two are saying isn't appropriate for _me_ to hear, let alone Sarah."

Steve retorted, "Wait until you get a girl, Raines. The minute you and her start kissing or anything, I am going to harass you until the end of time. To answer your question Chrissy, no, not really. The women usually got pretty tired of it after a while."

"Well, apparently none of them were fans of romance novels."

"Excuse me?"

"In classic romance novels, especially the ones I used to read when I was a teenager, the heroes are usually total alpha males. I always liked that in a guy. I mean, not like abusive, crazy controlling, but like protective because you care."

"Am I your alpha hero, Chrissy?"

Chrissy leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Yes. Just don't let it go to your head."

A call for Chrissy's flight came over the airport speakers. Steve sighed, "I guess you should probably go through security. You never know how long that will take."

Chrissy's eyes grew a little glassy. "I guess not."

Chrissy knelt down to kiss Sarah and lamented, "Well, honey, I have to go. Be good for Steve, okay?'

Sarah hugged her. "I will. Steve said we were going to party like rock stars."

Chrissy glanced up at Steve, humor and questions in her eyes.

Steve shook his head, "I never exactly said that. I just said that we were going to have a good time."

Chrissy rose to full height, biting back a smile. "Uh huh. Well, have a good time if you do decide to party like rock stars."

Steve laughed, "Do you really see me as a party kind of guy?"

Chrissy fiddled with the buttons on the hunter-green shirt that Steve had thrown over his black T-shirt. She replied, "If you got a few beers in you, I think Steve McGarrett might be kind of a partier."

Steve asked, "Are you trying to use Sarah's comment as a distraction to the fact that they called your flight number to security?"

Chrissy sighed, "Are you psychic or something?"

Steve shook his head, "No, I just know you pretty well. Besides, I think your brother is looking for a garbage can to puke in or getting ready to kick my ass. I'm not sure which."

Chrissy gazed up into his eyes. "Adam won't do either. I won't let him, and for the record, I'm going to miss you."

Steve hugged her close again. "I know. I'm going to miss you, too. You won't be gone long. You'll see my handsome face in no time at all."

Chrissy laughed, "Danny was right. You _do _have an ego."

Steve nodded, "I guess so."

Chrissy wrapped her arms around Steve's neck and kissed him. Steve could feel how hard she was clinging to him, how much she really wanted to stay. Hell, if it had been any other situation, he'd have kissed her exactly the same way. However, he knew she would be back soon and that they would have nothing to worry about then.

Chrissy broke the kiss reluctantly, as Adam began to make gagging sounds in the background. "I have to go."

Steve nodded. "Okay. Call me when you land."

Chrissy grabbed her bags. "I will. I love you."

Steve replied, "I love you, too."

As Steve and Sarah watched Chrissy and Adam head into the security area, he realized how much he was going to hate having her gone, despite all the reassuring he had given Chrissy and himself. Seeing her leave for a few days was hard. He couldn't imagine having to watch her leave him forever.


	6. Chapter 6

6

"In other words, Ms. Raines, you have no choice but to move back to Los Angeles and serve on the board of directors of Skyline Publishing."

Chrissy's entire body went numb. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. In her father's will, he had included what would happen under the circumstances that Michael was unable to perform his duties to Skyline Publishing. He stated that if Michael could not run Skyline Publishing, Ann Raines would take over and Adam and Chrissy would have to serve on the board of directors. In other words, both of them had to abandon their current jobs and smile like nothing was wrong even though their entire lives basically went to the back burner thanks to this. What would Steve think? What would this do to their relationship? How would Sarah react to this? What about the rest of Five-0? There were too many thoughts running through her head, and they were all too important to ignore.

Chrissy stuttered, "W-when do y-you want us to s-start?"

Mr. Jones replied, "As soon as possible, Ms. Raines. Next week if that will work for you."

Adam glanced over at Chrissy, knowing she was ready to burst. There was absolutely no way that Chrissy would be able to pack everything and say good-bye to everyone in time for work on Monday. He decided to speak up and informed, "Mr. Jones, I know for a fact that my sister has an awful lot to do before she moves back to L.A. permanently. I mean, she's built a life in Hawaii over the past eight months and has to get everything taken care of there."

Mr. Jones retorted, "Frankly, Mr. Raines, I would have presumed that your sister would have started packing the minute she received the letter from me. I mean, it was obvious from the letter that she was going to have to move back to L.A."

Chrissy stood up, tired of being talked about as though she wasn't standing there, and fumed, "Excuse me, Mr. Jones, but I can speak for myself. For your information, I thought maybe there would be an alternative way for me to serve on the board of directors so that I could maintain my residence in Hawaii and conduct my business from there or fly in when I am needed in person. However, I can see that no one is going to try to help me out, so I have no other choice but to say I refuse to move to L.A. and I am leaving as soon as possible."

Mr. Jones laughed, "That's a nice fantasy world you live in, Ms. Raines, but if you walk out that door and do not return, you will be ignoring the last wishes of your deceased father. If you do that, then it is entirely possible that whatever money your father left to you could be revoked."

Chrissy's stomach dropped. She'd already put that money to use towards Sarah's medications and schooling. There was absolutely no way she could pay back that money, and she knew that if she refused the job, they would begin taking her paychecks. She hated the idea of asking Steve for money if it came to that, despite the fact that she knew he would be more than happy to help her out. Her parents and brother had road blocked her into this. Obviously, she had no choice now. It looked as though she would be leaving Hawaii forever and soon.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Steve smiled when he saw Chrissy come through the terminal alongside Adam. Although he'd absolutely adored spending the past two days with Sarah, he really missed the woman he loved and would do anything for. Sarah wriggled in his arms as Chrissy and Adam came into view, as anxious as Steve to see her mother.

However, even though Chrissy tried to smile and appear excited, Steve could tell something was wrong instantly. Regardless of what she thought, Chrissy was terrible at hiding her emotions, and it made him all the more anxious to talk to her and find out exactly what had transpired in that meeting with Walter Jones.

When Chrissy was less than ten feet away, Steve finally set Sarah down on the floor so she could run to her mother's arms. She bolted toward her, shouting, "Mommy! Mommy!"

Chrissy knelt down and took Sarah in her arms, kissing her hair and her cheeks, "Oh, sweetie. I missed you so much."

Sarah beamed and replied, "I missed you, too, Mommy, and I know Steve did, too."

A lump formed in Chrissy's throat. She was not looking forward to telling Steve about the ultimatum she'd been given. It would break his heart. She was sure of that much. However, knowing her Steve, he would put on a smile and pretend everything was alright. The minute she got on that plane, though, she knew he would barricade himself in his own mind again, as he had when he'd lost both of his parents. It was killing her that he would do that to himself, but that was Steve McGarrett, the man she'd gotten to know and love over the past two months, and he knew no different.

Picking Sarah up in her arms, she walked over to Steve, who stood a few feet back, his arms folded across his chest and a smile plastered on his face. He looked unbelievably handsome and sexy, like he always did, which was going to make telling him even more difficult. For right now, though, she was just going to smile and try to seem happy even when she was screaming inside.

Steve leaned in to kiss Chrissy, and that was when he really noticed she wasn't feeling okay. She kissed him the same as always, but her lips were much less responsive. At that moment, he knew that his Chrissy was gone, most likely torn apart by the jerk of a lawyer in L.A. His gut told him that he wouldn't have much more time with the woman he'd fallen in love with, and that broke his heart. For a while, he'd really thought that they would make it, that they would possibly get married in the future and have more children. Now, however, those dreams appeared to be shattered.

Chrissy sat at Steve's kitchen table as he poured her a hot cup of coffee. They'd only exchanged a few words on the way home. Most of that conversation had been held together by Adam, who primarily talked about business. Tensions were high, and all four of them knew it. Even little Sarah could sense that something was wrong, so she just stayed quiet. Now that Steve and Chrissy were alone, though, they both knew they had to face the music and deal with this new obstacle.

Steve sat a cup of coffee down in front of Chrissy and another across from her. Steve sat in the seat and glanced up at her. Taking a sip of the coffee, he interrogated, "So, what happened in the meeting?"

Chrissy swallowed hard and answered, "Basically, Mr. Jones told Adam and me that we have no choice about taking the jobs from the board of directors and that I have to move back to L.A. as soon as possible. I flat out refused him."

Steve nodded, knowing that couldn't be the end of the story. "How did Jones take that?"

Chrissy sighed, "You can just imagine. He informed me that if I don't return to L.A., all of the money my father willed to me will be revoked. Unfortunately, I have already spent a decent portion of the money on Sarah's medication and schooling. There's no way I could ever pay it back, so I'm guessing they'd just start taking the money out of my paycheck. There is no way I could ever live like that."

Steve moved his hand across the table and took her hand in his. "Chrissy, I could always lend you the money. I'm not filthy rich, but I have plenty of money to help you out."

Chrissy shook her head. "I couldn't ask you to do that, Steve. There's no way I could ever pay you back."

"I don't give a damn if you ever pay me back, Chrissy. I love you. I want to help you."

"That's not all. I'm sure that if I refused the job offer and stayed here, my mother would do something like sue me for the money I received from my father's will and then we'd have to go through a whole trial and she'd probably win. There's no way I could ever put you or Sarah through that."

"Chrissy, I love-"

"I know you love me, Steve, but that doesn't change what ignoring that job offer would ultimately do to our lives."

Steve pulled his hand away and leaned back in his chair. "So, what are you saying?"

Tears began to spill down Chrissy's cheeks. "I'm saying that I have to take this job no matter what you say. Sarah and I have to leave for L.A. as soon as possible."

Steve bit his lip. "What about us, Chrissy?"

Chrissy's voice became choked. "I think it's over, Steve. Now, I know you're going to come up with something crazy like coming with me. There is absolutely no way I could ask you to do that. Your life is here. Your friends are here. Most importantly, Five-0 is here. Five-0 was in your life long before I was, and it will be here long after I'm gone. Hawaii needs you, Steve McGarrett, to keep people safe from all the bad guys."

Steve looked her straight in the eyes. "_I_ need _you_."

Chrissy laughed, "Are you telling me Steve McGarrett actually needs someone?"

Steve looked at his cup of coffee. "Yes, I am."

Chrissy's tears fell even more rapidly. "Are you trying to kill me, Steve?"

Steve shook his head. "No. I'm just being completely honest. I haven't needed anyone in a long time, Chrissy. I don't rely on people. You should know that. When I met you, though, something changed. I finally met my match. I found out that there was actually a woman who could make me need her. It's you. I thought we were going to be together for a long time. I guess that wasn't in the cards, was it?"

Chrissy's bottom lip quivered. "No, I guess not."

Steve swallowed hard and folded his arms across his chest. "When do you leave?"

Chrissy sighed, "Jones and my mother want me to be ready to go into work on Monday, but there is absolutely no way I can pack everything up and say good-bye to everyone in two days. So, I guess I'm thinking like Wednesday."

Steve nodded, "Danny and I will take you to the airport. Hell, with the way my team is, I'm sure they will all want to go and give you a proper send off."

Chrissy laughed. "I think you're right."

Steve shook his head. "I can't believe this. We're just off the heels of the whole Lori situation and now this lands in our laps. Our relationship was just getting comfortable and normal. Michael is still screwing with your life from beyond the grave."

"I know. I thought my life would resume as normal the minute he died, but I guess I was wrong."

"I thought the same thing would happen when Wo Fat was dead, so I must have been wrong, too."

"We're a pair, aren't we?"

"Yeah. We were two victims who were able to give some healing to each other's emotional wounds. We've done a great job at that."

"I agree. I'd never told anyone about Michael raping me until I met you. Even then, it was hard for me to talk about it. You changed that, though. You taught me that it was okay for me to talk about being raped. To be honest, I was ashamed of being a rape victim because I thought people would think there was something wrong with me. Because of you, I was comfortable enough to say something. Thanks for that."

"It was no problem. I could tell by the way you acted with me that something happened to you. I wasn't particularly sure, but I figured it was either sexual assault or rape."

"You know, up until this letter came, I really was considering coming to work for you at Five-0, not just as a secretary, but maybe to talk to the victims and find out all of their problems in case they weren't comfortable talking before."

Steve groaned. "So, we could have been co-workers and boyfriend/girlfriend?"

Chrissy smiled a bittersweet smile. "Yeah, we could have been."

"You don't know how much I hate to see you and Sarah leave."

"I think I have an idea. It's about as much as I hate leaving you and Five-0."

"Do you think we could maintain a relationship of some kind, Chrissy? I really don't want to lose you forever."

Chrissy's tears continued to fall. "I think we could work something out. Do you think we could stay friends?"

Steve's lips curved humorously. "I think we could, even though I know I'm going to have a hell of a time with it."

"Me, too. You're the only guy I've ever been in love with. It's not exactly going to be a piece of cake to make things platonic between us."

"Right, but a long-distance relationship is a bad idea, too. You know what happened to me and Catherine."

"Yeah. I guess there's no good option, is there?"

"No. However, I can't deny that I think we should make the best of the next few days. It's all we have."

"I know. Do you think we can fit a lifetime's worth of happiness into four days?"

"I'm not sure, but we can damn well try."


	8. Chapter 8

8

The following few days consisted of just what Chrissy had mentioned: trying to fit a lifetime's worth of happiness into four days. Steve took Chrissy and Sarah out on a boat on the North Shore on Sunday, just enjoying the cool ocean breeze on their faces and the amazing animals they saw. Sarah just about went nuts when she saw a group of dolphins leap out of the water not ten feet from the boat. She loved dolphins and had never seen a real one that close before. Adventurer that Steve was, he stripped his T-shirt off, strapped Sarah in a life vest, and jumped into the water with her, swimming toward the family of dolphins. Steve held her close as the dolphins approached them, and Sarah shrieked as she smoothed her hand over one of the dolphin's smooth, slippery heads.

Chrissy had to hide her tears as she watched Steve and Sarah together. Steve was the closest thing Sarah had known to a father, and now she would no longer have him in her life. Instead, it would just be her and Sarah against the world again, with Adam to help out and some long-distance conversations with Steve. No one seemed to know or care about how much this move was going to affect Sarah. She loved Hawaii. Not only that, but she had made friends there. She'd grown very close to Danny's daughter, Grace, during the last couple of months. They played together and had sleepovers all the time. Chrissy had even hosted a couple of the sleepovers. It really wasn't much trouble because both girls were so well-behaved. Sure, Sarah had outbursts sometimes, but she could usually be calmed down pretty easily. Chrissy was afraid that taking her away from the people she'd come to know and love would make her more irritable and prone to outbursts, which would lead to more medicine and more money. Chrissy had a bad feeling this entire move was going to be a disaster she would have to deal with on her own.

Sunday night was dinner at McGarrett's, and on the menu was the Steve McGarrett Sunday Special: hamburgers on the grill. He'd picked up a package of hamburger and made the patties himself. As Sarah played in his beach backyard, Steve grilled the hamburgers. Chrissy sat at the plastic table, not saying much at all, just watching the life that was slipping away before her eyes. She could have had all of this if she'd never gotten that stupid letter and her father hadn't made that provision about Michael being unable to perform his duties. Instead, she would be working with Steve and building a more serious relationship with him. Now, however, all of those points were moot.

On Monday, Steve took Chrissy to work with him. While she was there, she told the entire Five-0 team she would be leaving on Wednesday. Just as she'd predicted, the entire team insisted on escorting her to the airport. After a few tears and laughs, the day proceeded as usual. Chrissy basically shadowed Steve for most of the day, watching every move he made and aching with every fiber of her being to stay with him. He was the man of her dreams, despite all his quirks and faults, and she couldn't believe she had to give it all up because of one clause in a will. It just wasn't fair.

Tuesday was the most unbelievable day of all. Steve flew Chrissy out to Maui and they hung out there, just walking and talking. They had dinner at a fancy restaurant and didn't have to worry about what time they got back. Danny had sweetly offered to host Sarah and Gracie's last sleepover, so they stayed out and flew back around nine. Chrissy thanked God it was dark in the helicopter so Steve wouldn't see the tears streaming down her face.

Steve took her home and walked Chrissy to her door. He planned on leaving it like that. Although the words to a country tune he'd heard about letting a woman go tomorrow but loving her tonight were running through his head and tempting him like crazy, he wasn't sure he'd be able to walk away in the morning. As much as he'd like to kiss and touch her, there was no way he'd let her get on the plane if he did.

However, just as Steve was about to say good night and walk away, Chrissy leaned up to his ear and whispered, "Stay with me tonight, Steve. I'm ready. I don't want to have any regrets when I get on that plane tomorrow."


	9. Chapter 9

9

Steve's mouth dropped. _No way is Chrissy saying what I think she is saying. She's just getting overemotional because she's leaving tomorrow. I mean, she just started talking about the rape less than two months ago. There is no possible way she is ready for me to make love to her. I would never feel right about doing it, especially if she isn't ready._

Steve grasped Chrissy's shoulder, still having a difficult time putting words together to form a sentence. He laughed, "Chrissy, you don't know what you're saying."

Chrissy replied, "Yes, I do, Steve. I want you to come in the house, take me up to my bedroom, and make love to me until we can't move."

Despite the fact that Steve was utterly stunned by Chrissy's bold statements, his entire body was now completely aware of her. Sure, he'd had flitting thoughts and fantasies cross his mind when he was with Chrissy or thought about her. He'd imagined making love to her many times, but that didn't mean he wasn't willing to wait until she was absolutely ready for that type of intimacy. He really was. Now, he was completely confused. Was Chrissy really ready to take that big of a step, or was she just doing it to cling to whatever was left of their relationship?

Steve shook his head. "Chrissy, I don't think you're ready for this."

Chrissy looked as though she was on the verge of tears. "I'm ready. I know I'm ready. I'm not sure you are. Don't you want me, Steve?"

Hearing Chrissy say that broke Steve's heart. _Of course_ he wanted her. Steve leaned close and whispered, "Honey, you know I want you. Any man would be crazy not to. I just don't want to rush you into something I know you're not ready for."

Chrissy shook her head frantically. "You weren't the one who was raped. I was, and I think I would know when I'm ready for something as intimidating as sex. I feel that I'm ready to try it and I would really like to share that experience with you."

Steve kissed her tenderly on the cheek. "I'm flattered. Don't think I'm not, Chrissy, I'm just afraid of scaring you or possibly hurting you more."

Chrissy answered, "I know you would never hurt or scare me intentionally. Don't you believe that?"

Steve nodded, "I know that. I guess I still just have this fear of hurting you and that you wouldn't tell me even if I did."

Chrissy aimed her gaze at the ground. "I'm not going to lie. I probably wouldn't say anything even if I was scared or anything. I trust you, Steve."

"Yes, but just because you trust the other person doesn't mean you should sacrifice your comfort for them."

"Steve, you've put up with a lot from me over the past couple of months. I think you deserve something in return for all you've dealt with."

"Baby, I don't need compensation for that. I love you. I'm happy just having you love me back."

Chrissy smiled, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill onto her face. "That's so sweet."

Steve laughed, "Once again, something you don't need to mention to Danny."

Chrissy laid her head against his chest. "By the way, I hate to admit this, but you were right. I'm not ready to have sex yet. Still, would you stay with me tonight? I just want to feel you beside me."

Steve gathered her in his arms and kissed her hair. "There's no other way I'd rather spend tonight."


	10. Chapter 10

10

Even before Steve opened his eyes the next morning, he dreaded the day. Chrissy and Sarah were leaving, and there was basically nothing he could do about it. He'd offered her the money she needed to get out of this job, and she wouldn't take it from him. He was willing to stand by her side if her mother tried to attack her with a legal battle and shield Sarah from the ugliness of it all, but she wouldn't hear of it. Chrissy was determined to deal with this on her own, even if all he wanted to do was help her. Now, she was leaving him all because her stubborn mother wasn't about to let her be happy.

Despite the fact that Steve remained still and silent so not to wake Chrissy, he felt her begin to stir in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open and she shifted so that she could look at him. She smiled solemnly and pressed a kiss to his lips.

After Chrissy slowly pulled her lips away from his, she laid her head against his bare chest and sighed, "I guess today's the day, huh?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

Chrissy shook her head. "I hate this."

Steve chuckled slightly. "I know. I hate good-byes."

"This isn't exactly good-bye, though. I mean, we're going to see each other again, right?"

Steve touched her hair. "Yeah, but we're not going to be a couple when see each other again. We're definitely going to see each other again. That won't be the issue. The issue will be acting like a friend of yours when I know we both want to be more than that."

Chrissy bit the inside of her lip. "I guess that will be pretty hard. This is the first real relationship I've ever been in, so I'm not exactly sure how this will work when all is said and done."

"It will be just as though we were friends. We'll call each other periodically. You'll e-mail me pictures of Sarah in her school pictures. You'll text me back and it will take me forever to answer you. We'll do all the things normal friends do to stay in touch when they live far apart."

"I have to admit it will take a lot of getting used to."

"Yeah, but we'll get used to it eventually. You're a tough girl, Chrissy. It's one of my favorite things about you. This will be hard. I'm not saying it won't. You'll forget about me eventually, anyway. You'll get caught up in your new life and career and you won't have time to think about you."

Chrissy's eyes filled with tears. She bellowed, "How could you think I could ever forget about you? My God, you saved my life! You've been by my side through almost everything a person could go through. Not only that, but I fell in love will you, and I fell hard. I don't know about you, but I don't fall in and out of love easily. I sure as hell am not going to forget about the only guy I've ever fallen in love with because there's an ocean between us."

Steve put his face in his hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. What I meant is that you won't have time to grieve because of your new job and lifestyle. It will keep you busy enough. I'm sure you'll think about me. I'll think about you, too. However, I think both of us will get thrown into our jobs so quickly that we're not going to have time to wallow in how we're feeling."

Chrissy nodded. "I get what you're saying, but that's not how it sounded."

Steve wrapped both of his arms around her and tilted her face up so he could look her straight in the eyes. "I love you, Chrissy, and I always will. Don't forget that. We're just not going to work. We know that and we just have to accept it. However, I promise you that you will be haunting my every waking thought and nighttime dream. You are the most incredible woman I've ever met, and I won't ever forget what we've shared these past two months. It takes a lot for me to say these things because I am not an overly expressive, emotional person, but you touched me in ways I never thought were possible. I hope that you can make a great girlfriend or even a wife for someone else. Unfortunately, that can't be me."

Chrissy hugged her body closer to Steve's, the tears flowing heavily now. She choked, "I've never met a man like you, Steve McGarrett, and I doubt I ever will. You're so complicated, and it takes a lot to peel away your layers, but I've enjoyed doing it. Beneath that tough exterior, you're really a sweet guy, even though you don't like to admit it. I love that about you. I really hate to think about what the dating world in L.A. will be like because I will be comparing every guy I ever meet to you."

Steve smirked. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. There are plenty of guys who are better for you than I am."

"I know, but I don't want them. I want you, and of course, I can't have you. Story of my life, I guess."

"Mine, too. I guess this just isn't meant to be."

"No, but it sure felt right while it lasted."


	11. Chapter 11

11

Several hours later, the entire Five-0 team was standing with Chrissy and Sarah in the terminal, waiting to go through security. They hugged each other a million times and promised to stay in touch. For the most part, Steve stayed away from all the good-byes. He hated watching the rest of his team say their farewells because he knew that he still had to do so yet. Despite the fact that he'd never said good-bye to either of his parents because of their murders, he still despised good-byes with a vengeance. They made him uncomfortable, especially now. Although Chrissy promised him they would keep in touch, he had a bad feeling that, regardless of her good intentions, she would be thrown into the fast lane as soon as she landed in L.A. and eventually become too busy to stay in touch. He hated the thought of losing the only woman he'd even considered spending the rest of his life with. Now, he just wished time would stand still and delay her leaving as long as possible.

Sarah tugged on his khaki-colored cargo pant leg impatiently. Steve knelt down beside her and scooped her in his arms. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "What's up, Shorty?"

Sarah replied, "I'm sad, Steve. I'm very, very sad. I don't want to go far away. I want to stay here with you."

Steve quickly swallowed the lump that was growing in his throat and reassured, "Sarah, honey, I know you want to stay here, but your mommy got a job in L.A. and she has to go there. You'll be fine."

Sarah insisted, "But you won't be there, Steve. I love you. Can't you come with us?"

Steve shook his head. "No, I can't. I have a job here and I really can't give it up. Besides, your mommy said she didn't want me to do that. Sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to do. I know you don't want to leave Hawaii, but you don't have a choice. We'll see each other again, Sarah. Don't worry about that."

Sarah's eyes started to tear up. "But Steve, we won't get to see you every day. You won't get to read me a bedtime story at night or take me to school."

Steve closed his eyes, trying to hold back the excess water he felt gathering in his eyes. "No, I won't be able to do any of that anymore, but I'll come visit you sometime and maybe I'll be able to do it then."

"I don't want to go away and not see you a lot. I want to live here with you and Mommy."

"Sarah, I know this isn't easy, but you have to be tough. Be good to your mommy and help her out. This isn't easy for her, either."

"What about you, Steve? Will you be okay?"

Steve forced his lips to curve into a smile. "Of course I will, Shorty. Besides, Danno will keep me on my toes. Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine."

"Won't you miss us?"

"Now, you know me better than that, don't you, Sarah? You bet I'm going to miss you and your mommy, but I'm going to go on like I normally do. I'll think about you all of the time, and we'll talk on the phone, too."

"You promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

Chrissy tapped Steve on the shoulder. "She's not convincing you to sneak her out of the airport with you, is she?"

Steve shook his head as he put Sarah back on the ground. "No, although that probably would be something she would come up with to get out of leaving."

Chrissy sighed. "Yeah, I know. I hate making her do this, but we don't have any other options."

Steve replied, "I wouldn't say that."

Chrissy responded softly, "You know what I mean."

Steve clipped, "Yeah, I know what you mean. You don't want my help and you won't even hear of it."

Chrissy bit her lip and choked, "Steve, could we please not fight now? I really don't want my memories of leaving Hawaii to be overshadowed by us fighting at the airport as I was getting ready to board."

Steve nodded. "I'm sorry. This is all just a lot to deal with."

Danny cleared his throat. "Well, I think we should go get the car so that we're ready to leave when Steve is. We'll be waiting for you out front, Steve."

Chrissy turned back to look at all of the people who had protected her when she needed protecting and became her friends when she needed them most. Tears poured down her cheeks. "Thank you for everything. I'll talk to you guys soon."

Danny, Kono, Catherine, and Chin all hugged her and whispered their farewells in her ear. Then, almost on cue, they exited the building.

Steve glanced up at the ceiling and around at the rest of the airport, purposely trying to avoid Chrissy's eyes. "So, you'll call when you land, right?"

Chrissy nodded. "Yeah. Adam's going to pick me up, so I know he'll make sure I call."

Steve's nod was followed by an awkward silence. Neither of them liked good-byes, especially highly emotional ones, and this made them uncomfortable. During those few seconds, both of them were trying to figure out the right way to say good-bye to the person they were so passionately in love with. Steve wasn't an overly emotional man, and Chrissy tried her best to act tough, so it was a lot for either of them to let their guards down. However, because of the situation, they both knew it would happen eventually.

Steve sighed. "I'm really going to miss you, Chrissy."

Chrissy smiled, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I'm going to miss you, too."

Steve groaned, "God, I forgot how much I hate saying good-bye."

Chrissy nodded. "Yeah. It sucks."

"Well, I guess I should say have a good flight and good luck in L.A."

"Thanks. You keep Hawaii safe, Super SEAL."

Steve laughed, "I'll do my best. You knock 'em dead in L.A."

Chrissy smirked. "I'll try."

Steve sighed, "Well, I guess I should give you a hug."

Chrissy nodded. "I'd like that."

Steve didn't even hesitate when pulling her into his arms and holding her close. Her tears quickly began forming a wet spot on the chest area of his T-shirt. It almost broke him, but he kept his cool. He whispered, "I love you, Chrissy. Don't forget that. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate. I'm only a plane ride away."

Chrissy choked, "I love you, too. The same goes for you about needing anything. Just because you act like a tough guy all the time doesn't mean you can't let it out sometimes. I'll always listen."

Steve slowly eased her out of his arms. He smiled down at her, knowing she could probably see the glassiness in his eyes. He knelt down next to Sarah and hugged her. "See you later, Shorty."

Sarah hugged him tightly. "Good-bye, Steve. I love you."

Steve stood up and patted her on the head. "I love you, too, kid."

Steve turned back to look at Chrissy. He suggested, "I think you two should probably start heading through security. It takes a lot longer with kids."

Chrissy nodded. "Yeah. I guess we should go. By the way, look on the nightstand in your bedroom when you get home. There is something for you there."

Steve nodded. "Okay. Call me when you land."

Chrissy took Sarah's hand and grabbed her luggage. She answered, "I will. Good-bye, Steve."

Steve smiled and replied in true Hawaiian fashion, "Aloha, Chrissy."

Chrissy turned away quickly and began walking toward security. Steve watched her and Sarah make their way through security until he couldn't see them anymore. He stayed in the airport and waited until he made sure their plane was in the air. Then, reluctantly, with a heavy heart and damp eyes, he left the airport.


	12. Chapter 12

12

After a silent car ride home from the airport, Steve dragged his feet into his now empty house. He'd felt removed and depressed before, but what he was feeling now was even more than that. Although Chrissy wasn't out of his life completely like his parents, losing her felt like losing it all. It had taken a very long time for him to open his heart to love after all that had happened with his parents, but he had managed it. However, allowing his heart to love again also left his heart open to hurt. He'd known that going in, and he'd still risked everything to be with Chrissy because he cared about her so much. Now, because of all that, he was coming home to an empty house he would most likely never share with another human being.

As he wandered through the house, Steve realized how cold and uninviting it felt now that there were no longer random items of Chrissy's clothing thrown across the sofa or Sarah's stuffed animals stuck under the furniture. Before that, it had just been a house to live in, even though it was the house he'd grown up in. When Chrissy had entered his life, all of that had changed. After Wo Fat was killed, she and Sarah had practically begun living in the house. Their clothes filled the empty drawers in the spare room and even in his bedroom. Now, everything just seemed empty and dark.

Climbing the stairs, Steve remembered Chrissy mentioning that there was something on the nightstand. Even though he dreaded seeing what it was, he pushed his feet forward and into the room he hated seeing the most.

Steve glanced around the bedroom as he dragged his feet in. Even though he figured it was just his imagination, he swore he could smell her perfume. To him, the bedroom was bare without all her little lotion bottles, perfumes, clothes, and makeup. Now, it just looked like a lot of bare furniture used to fill up a room.

Finally, on the nightstand next to his bed, Steve saw a small envelope with his name on it in Chrissy's loopy handwriting. Swallowing hard, he strolled over to the desk and picked it up. For a second, he just looked at the front of the envelope and remembered her writing notes for him to pick up something or just short, sweet little love notes. He chuckled a little, and slowly opened the envelope. Pulling the paper inside of it out, he realized it was a letter. It read:

_ Steve,_

_ I guess we do most of our talking via letters, huh? I hate saying good-bye like this, but, like you, I'm not always very good at expressing my emotions by talking, so I guess this is the best way._

_ I want you to know that my leaving has absolutely nothing to do with you. It was very sweet of you to offer me the money to get out of this job, but there was just no way I could take it from you. I would always feel guilty about taking money from you that I did nothing for, and I don't think either of us would ever be happy in a situation like this. Besides, I would always want to pay you back, and you already nixed that idea. We don't exactly see eye to eye on that stuff. I really want to do this on my own, and if it does come to the point where I realize I'm not cut out to work at Skyline Publishing, I want to pay back the money my father willed to me myself. Sure, I might have to work a couple of jobs to pay it all back, but at least I would feel good doing it._

_ It's not easy to put how I feel about you into words, so I guess I'll have to borrow the words from that old Dolly Parton song. I'm always going to love you, Steve. In the end, I'm not sure I would have made a good girlfriend for you. I worry too much, especially since you spend most of your time getting shot at. However, I want you to have all the happiness in the world. Maybe you'll meet some girl who won't always worry that her phone is going to ring with news that you've been hurt or worse. I hope she loves you completely and that you do the same. You've changed me in ways I can't even begin to explain, and I've enjoyed some of the best experiences of my life with you, and I want to thank you for that. I know that we aren't saying good-bye forever, but we are saying farewell to the romantic part of our relationship. It won't be easy for either of us, but we don't have a choice. We're both tough. I know we'll make it._

_ For now, though, I want you to keep on doing what you do best: saving lives and keeping the people of Hawaii safe. I'll call you when I land. _

_ Love,_

_ Chrissy_

_ P.S.: When I call, don't mention this letter. I'd hate for anything to be awkward between us._

Steve took in a deep breath as he read the letter for the third time. No, he wasn't an emotional man, but he was having a hell of a time keeping it together after reading what Chrissy had to say. Although he was a little baffled that she didn't want to talk about what she'd written, he understood where she was coming from. She was trying to distance herself from the romantic part of their relationship, and even though he loved her, it made sense to the emotionless part of him.

A few hours later, as Chrissy walked out of the airport, she called Steve. Their conversation was very to the point. She told him she landed. He asked her how her flight was. It was a very general conversation. Chrissy could instantly tell he'd read the letter and knew she was trying to keep the emotions out of their relationship. Even though it was what she'd wanted, it was like a stab in the heart when Steve hung up without telling her "I love you."

As Chrissy slid into the front seat of Adam's car, she thought about how emotionless Steve had become over the course of a few hours. He talked to her as though he was discussing the weather. She'd never known this side of him before, and she realized she hated it. Sinking down in the seat, tears began streaming down her face. She only hoped Adam and Sarah couldn't see them.


	13. Chapter 13

13

The following day, after a long, sleepless night, Steve walked into Five-0 headquarters feeling out of place and down. The entire team could sense it from his posture right down to his icy, clipped tone. None of them knew very much about why Chrissy had left, except that she'd been forced into a job because of a clause in her father's will. Steve never really wanted to talk about it, and no member of the team really wanted to push him, so they hadn't. However, Danny was growing pretty worried about his best friend, and knew he would eventually have to ask him the tough questions.

Later, when Chin, Catherine, and Kono went out on assignment, Danny approached Steve in his office. Knocking on the door, he entered the office and asked, "Steve, why couldn't Chrissy turn down that job offer in L.A.? I mean, I know there was something in her father's will about what would happen in the case of Michael's incapacitation, but couldn't they have done something about it?"

Steve sighed and replied, "The lawyer told Chrissy that if she didn't take the job, she would have to pay back all the money her father willed to her. Of course, I offered to help her pay that back because she already spent a good portion of the money and put it towards Sarah's medications and other necessities. She turned me down."

Danny ran his fingers through his hair and asked, "How much money would she have to pay back?"

Steve bit the inside of his cheek. "$50,000."

Danny furrowed his brows. "That doesn't seem like very much of an inheritance considering how successful Mr. Raines's publishing company was while he was alive."

"Well, I'm guessing that he left a big chunk of his money to Michael, which means all of that money is gone. He was flat broke at the time of his death, and that was why he was working with Wo Fat. Chrissy and Adam most likely got the shaft."

"It sounds like Michael was the favorite child, and Adam and Chrissy always took a backseat to him. It doesn't really surprise me that Chrissy already spent a good portion of her inheritance because she'd practically been living on minimum wage. Not only that, but Sarah's medication has to add up. You and I both know she's on four or five medications. That gets expensive."

"I agree, but I would have helped her. Chrissy told me she would feel guilty taking money from me. I wouldn't think anything of it. I'm well enough off."

Danny paused for a moment, apparently thinking. After a few seconds, he exclaimed, "I have an idea! We have to wait for the rest of the team to get back, but I think they are going to agree to it. Just watch and learn, McGarrett. Your luck is about to change very soon."

**I will not be posting a chapter tomorrow, but I will be back with Chapter 14 on Saturday.**


	14. Chapter 14

14

That day, Chrissy also began her first day at Skyline Publishing. Sarah, as she had no school to go to at this point, came with Chrissy, much to the dismay of most of the staff. It didn't even help when she explained to them that Sarah was autistic and that she had nowhere else to go. Their blatant inconsideration of her child bothered her quite a bit, and instantly had her wondering if she'd done the right thing by leaving Hawaii. Everything about L.A. seemed wrong. The smog that infested the air made her and Sarah cough and wheeze. It had nothing on Honolulu's crisp, clean air and tropical scent.

Not only that, but L.A. didn't have Steve McGarrett. She'd missed him almost instantly after they'd parted at the airport. As she'd glanced back at him one last time, she could have sworn she saw tears glazing his eyes. It would seem impossible to most people, as he came off so tough, unemotional, and focused. To her, though, it was no surprise. Steve had revealed things to her in their conversations that she was sure he hadn't told anyone else, even Danny. It broke her heart to think that she'd made him so upset that tears had actually threatened his eyes. From what she had gathered, he hadn't even been able to cry when his parents died. Apparently, he didn't have a heart of stone like everyone assumed. However, it didn't matter now. They'd broken up, and it was likely he'd never talk about things like that with her again.

Early in the afternoon, as Chrissy glanced over the stack of memos, a knocked sounded from the other side of her door. When Chrissy got up from her desk and opened the door to her office, she about fell over when she saw her mother standing on the other side of the door.

Chrissy hadn't seen Ann Raines in over eight months, but her mother looked the same as ever. There was not a part of her short dyed blonde hair out of place, and she was immaculately dressed in an Armani business suit. As always, her makeup was caked on to cover up any slight skin imperfections. Chrissy could instantly tell that her mother had gotten some type of plastic surgery done because the few wrinkles that had once appeared on her face were no longer there. _She's obviously spent my father's money well_, Chrissy thought.

Ann folded her arms over her chest. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the prodigal daughter."

Chrissy greeted, "Hello, Mother."

Ann inquired, "Is that the way you greet your mother when you haven't seen her in eight months and left without a word?"

Chrissy nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Ann walked past Chrissy into the office. "Well, I guess that shouldn't surprise me, considering all the stories I've heard about your escapades in Hawaii."

Chrissy laughed. "I would hardly call what happened in Hawaii escapades."

Ann sat down in the chair in front of Chrissy's desk. "What do you call living with a man you barely know, Chrissy, and especially a man of the repute of your boy toy?"

Chrissy seethed, "Don't you _dare_ talk about Steve! You don't know anything about him!"

Ann replied, "Actually, I hired a private investigator to look into your lover a bit. Surely, you could have picked a man who made a little more money than that to play mistress to. I mean, a task force leader? Really?"

Chrissy shot back, "I'm not a little girl anymore. I don't have to answer to you. However, I do want to set you straight on a few things. One, I am not Steve's lover or mistress or whatever you want to call it. I never had sex with him, for your information. Two, despite what you like to think, Steve and I were living together because my life was in danger. The reason I left L.A. was because I was receiving threatening notes from Dad's killer, Wo Fat. Someone broke into my new house in Honolulu a couple of months ago. That's when Five-0 came into the picture. Steve investigated the situation a little and decided that for security purposes, it would be best if he took me to the Five-0 safe house. He stayed there with me and Sarah purely for safety."

Ann retorted, "However, from what I discovered, you and this, um, Commander McGarrett have seen each other since your living arrangement ended, correct?"

Chrissy nodded. "Yes. We developed a relationship."

"Ah. So not only were you whoring around with this 'Commander McGarrett,' but the two of you were also well on your way to destroying your brother's good name."

"Oh, so _that's _what this is all about? You weren't as worried about what I was doing as you were about me ruining Michael's public appearance. I get it."

"Do you realize the stories you were creating, Chrissy? I mean, you told this Five-0 that Michael raped you and that Sarah is his biological daughter. How ridiculous does that sound?"

"It doesn't matter how ridiculous it sounds, Mom. It's true. Michael did rape me and I got pregnant."

"Look, you might have been able to pull that one over with that dinky little Hawaiian task force, but it's not going to work with me. You might as well just quit while you're ahead."

Chrissy laughed bitterly. "You'll never believe me, will you? Michael's word always was superior to mine in your eyes, and it still is from the grave, isn't it?"

"Well, what was I supposed to believe? You always had your head stuck in those romance novels and could barely discern fantasy from reality. Who was I supposed to listen to? The clear-headed, realistic son or the head-in-the-clouds daughter?"

"Maybe you could have tried believing all of your children, Mom. I haven't even brought Adam into this, but he could say a lot of the same things."

"Adam should have listened to us and got into the publishing business with Michael and your father. Instead, he had to get into all that law enforcement crap."

"And you made damn sure he couldn't do it any more, didn't you? You and Dad were determined to make sure Adam had to get into publishing come hell or high water, weren't you? I don't understand it. That's what Adam really loves. He's a great detective, and it's what he wants to do. It doesn't matter to you, though, does it? As long as everything works out just the way you want it to, it doesn't matter how anyone else feels about it. Am I right?"

Ann bolted out of her chair. "Is that how you talk to your mother? If it is, it certainly wasn't the way I taught you!"

Chrissy laughed, "Mother, I was raised by the nanny you hired for me. The only thing I can honestly say I learned from you is that I never want to be anything like you."

"You are such an ungrateful little brat! Maybe I should tell you about your _real_ father. You wouldn't be walking with your head held so high if you heard about that, I bet!"

Chrissy felt like her whole body was going to collapse. She choked out, "W-what?"

Ann looked down at the floor. "Well, David and I were having a rough patch in our marriage, so I had what would politely be termed as an indiscretion with one of our lawn care workers. David never knew, and when I found out I was pregnant, he just assumed you were his. It actually revitalized our marriage."

Chrissy's mouth hung open. She stuttered, "W-who w-was it?"

Ann played with her perfectly manicured nails. "Curtis Cantrell."

Chrissy's eyes grew even larger. "Curtis Cantrell? Mom, that guy was only in his thirties when I was in my teens! How old was he when you were sleeping with him?"

Ann swallowed hard. "Probably eighteen or nineteen. I'm not sure."

Chrissy felt the shock wash over her, and it was quickly replaced by anger. "How could you cheat on Dad, and with Curtis no less? You were, what, thirty-four when I was born?"

Ann nodded, "Yes, but you have to understand that your Dad and I were going through a rough time, honey."

Chrissy shook her head. "No relationship gets so rough that you have to resort to cheating."

"When you get married, you'll understand."

"No, I don't think I will, Mother. Not even a rough patch in a marriage excuses cheating. If I was really in love with my husband, there would be no reason I would cheat on him. By the way, quit talking to me like you're my best friend. Since you've been here, you've called me a whore more than once and trash talked the man I'm in love with. Did you know I had to leave him because of the stupid clause in Dad's will? I know you easily could have found two replacements for me and Adam, but you wouldn't do that, of course. You made Adam and I come back to Skyline so that we could be under your control again. Am I right? Never mind. I don't want to hear the answer. All I want is for you to get the hell out of my office. You've already subjected Sarah to things an eight-year-old should never have to hear."

Without another word, Ann Raines left Chrissy's office. It left Chrissy almost alone with her thoughts except for Sarah's chatter. However, even Sarah's talking couldn't stop her from contemplating whether or not she'd made the right decision to give up everything she'd had in Hawaii for all of this constant drama in L.A. She knew what she had to do, but she was going to wait until exactly the right time.


	15. Chapter 15

15

Steve tucked in his blue button-down shirt as he stepped off of his flight at LAX. Even though he wanted to move quickly, it was difficult to push through the hordes of people being greeted by loved ones. He might not have had someone waiting there with open arms, but he felt some anticipation at seeing Chrissy again. She'd only been gone a little over a week and he'd missed her like crazy the entire time. He knew he had to bring her home, and the key to it rested in the pocket of his blue jeans.

Steve ran as quickly as possible through the airport and caught a cab almost immediately. He rattled off the address of Skyline Publishing and jumped in the cab. As the cab buzzed through the busy streets of L.A., Steve wondered what the confrontation with Ann Raines would be like. From what he'd read about her and heard from Adam and Chrissy, she was a cold, self-centered woman who'd allowed her children to be raised by nannies and the rest of the house staff. The way she'd treated Chrissy had already given him plenty of reason to dislike her, and the way she'd manipulated her children's lives so that they were lived out exactly the way she wanted them to made him sick. He hoped that what he'd stuck in his pocket before he left Hawaii would release Chrissy from her clutches.

When the cab stopped in front of the offices of Skyline Publishing, Steve threw a couple of twenties to the driver and ran into the building. The receptionist at the front desk didn't even notice him, so he slipped in easily. Steve ran right past her. , Steve jumped in an elevator. He'd done enough research to know that Chrissy's office was on the fifth floor. Slowly, the elevator ascended to the floors above.

The minute the doors of the elevator opened, Steve bolted out of it and into the hallway. Several rows of cubes lined the office area, and he could see that Chrissy's office was on the back wall behind the cubicles. He raced to it, pushing past workers and around carts and such. When he was about ten feet from the office, Chrissy opened the door to her office. Steve stopped in his tracks when he saw her. She looked absolutely incredible. Her long blonde tresses were pulled back in a chignon and her business suit was immaculate. She looked, well, hot. He couldn't even hear Chrissy calling to him.

Chrissy sobbed, "Steve?"

Steve jerked and glanced into her eyes, which he noticed were a bit glassy. He replied, "Hey, Chrissy."

Chrissy walked toward him, folding her arms over her chest. "What are you doing here?"

Steve's breathing began to slow, even though he was still trying to catch his breath. He met Chrissy halfway and put his hand on her cheek. Biting his lip, he answered, "I'm here because I can't live without you, Chrissy. I've been thinking a lot since you left. Sure, I thought we might be able to go through the motions and become friends so that you could have this job, but I just can't do it anymore. I love you."

Before Chrissy could reply to what Steve had revealed, a voice from behind Chrissy interrupted, "This must be your Hawaiian boy toy."

Steve pulled away from Chrissy slightly to gaze at Ann Raines. He retorted, "Ann Raines. I would say this is a pleasure, but I'm afraid I would be lying."

Ann laughed, "Ah, and a smart ass, too. Charming."

Steve smiled, "Not only that, but I'm a hard ass as well, and a persistent one. By the way, I don't know what you are insinuating by referring to me as a 'boy toy,' but my relationship with Chrissy is not like that. I actually care about her and love her, which is a lot more than you've done."

Ann shot back, "You have no right to judge me!"

Steve shrugged, "Maybe not, but making an observation is something I have a right to do because of my position. From my observations, you treated your stepson Michael like a prize but ignored your biological children, which is interesting considering he was a rapist and a serial criminal."

"Why are you and Chrissy so hooked on ruining Michael's reputation? He never did anything to you!"

Steve laughed bitterly, "Really? He raped your daughter and got her pregnant. Not only that, but he kidnapped her and tortured her, some of which he did within earshot of your granddaughter. He tried to kill me and almost did. Are you still going to say he never did anything to us?"

Ann was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe how brash her daughter's lover was. He had a lot of nerve wrecking her son's good name by blowing a few small situations out of proportion. Her eyes widened even more when she saw him pull some cash and a couple of checks out of his pocket.

Steve shoved the checks and cash into Ann's hands. "This is the $50,000 Mr. Raines left Chrissy. She told me it would be revoked if she didn't take this job in L.A. and that she didn't have the money to pay it back herself. However, thanks to a few of her friends and acquaintances, the money was compiled and is all ready for you to take. Chrissy is no longer under your control, Mrs. Raines. She's thirty-five years old. She shouldn't have to do what her mommy wants her to. She should be able to live the life she wants to. Now she can."

Chrissy tapped Steve on the shoulder. "Excuse me for interrupting, but where in the hell did you get $50,000?"

Steve answered, "I'll explain later, but the point is that it is here and that there is no returning it, Chrissy. Your friends would be offended if you tried. They know you aren't happy here, and so do I. Not only that, but I'm not happy, either. Living without you in Hawaii is like not living at all. Please accept the money so that we can get out of this mess and get on with our life together."

Chrissy sighed, "I don't like doing it, but I would really hate to upset the generous people who did this. Mother, that is the $50,000 you wanted if I wouldn't take the job here. Besides, now that I know David Raines wasn't my biological father, I feel that the money doesn't really belong to me as much as it would to Adam. So, if you have nothing further, I quit."

Chrissy and Steve turned around, walking hand in hand out of the office. Ann shouted after them, "You'll never make it! I give you a month, tops!"

Chrissy turned around and laughed, "I can't wait to prove you wrong, Mom."

A few minutes later, in between the passionate kisses they were sharing in the cab, Chrissy pulled away and stated, "Let me guess: everyone at Five-0 chipped in to bring me back, right?"

Steve shook his head. "You're good."

Chrissy sighed. "I feel like I owe them."

Steve pulled her close and kissed her. "Don't. They already told me to tell you not to worry about it. They consider you and Sarah family and hated to see you leave. It was actually all Danny's idea."

Chrissy laughed, "That figures, and let me take another guess. Adam told you how much our inheritance was because I know I never did."

Steve interrogated, "Yep. By the way, what did you say up there about David Raines not being your father?"

Chrissy exhaled deeply and laid her head against his chest. "My mother and I had an argument the other day. In the heat of the moment, she told me that she'd had an affair with one of the staff during a rough patch in her marriage and that he is my biological father."

Steve's eyes widened. "Wow. That had to be hard to swallow."

Chrissy nodded. "It was. That was when I realized I couldn't work for her. I can tolerate a lot, but cheating is something I absolutely despise. I guess that was why I was so angry when I thought you were sleeping with Lori."

"Well, now you don't have to. It's all taken care of. You can live the life you want to."

Chrissy leaned up and kissed Steve's jaw. "Yeah. Let's pick up Sarah. We're going home."

**I hope you enjoyed "Choices." I will be back on Monday, July 23rd with the fourth story in the Steve/Chrissy series, which will also be a full-length crossover with another popular CBS show. Until then, thank you and happy reading!**


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